ces 2009: SanDisk Speeds Up MicroSD Cards

For impatient folks who love mobile media, SanDisk just announced “Ultra” versions of its 16GB MicroSD and M2 memory cards, which fit into mobile phones. The new Ultra cards transfer files to and from PCs faster than existing non-Ultra cards, though SanDisk wouldn’t tell us exactly how much faster; for that, we’ll have to try them out in our labs.

The new card’s ultra speeds seem to come into play only when you’re using them with a dedicated, PC-based card reader–not if they’re plugged into a phone already. That’s because the speed of transferring files directly to a phone is usually limited by the phone, not by the memory card.

The new 16GB Mobile Ultra MicroSD will cost $119.99 and the 16GB M2 card (which works with Sony Ericsson phones) will cost $129.99. Both will go on sale this month.